Playbooks

Bunch Trail

Shotgun·Bunch·11
TrailPass Play
Likely unavailable in the playbook builder
This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.
Play diagram for Bunch Trail from Shotgun Bunch in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 1 playbook

Henry Special

Breakdown

Bunch Trail lines up out of Shotgun Bunch with three receivers stacked tight to one side and a single receiver detached. At the snap, the outside bunch receiver runs a deep vertical up the sideline, the middle bunch receiver breaks into a quick out/pivot underneath, and the inside bunch receiver works a deep crossing route that trails across the field behind the shallow flat route from the backfield. The lone detached back releases out of the backfield on a wheel/flare route to the opposite flat, giving you a five man route concept that stresses both shallow and deep zones. This is primarily a man beater thanks to the natural picks created by the bunch alignment and the trailing crosser, with the deep out and backfield flat as built in zone beaters against soft coverage. Primary read progression starts with the deep crossing route working man leverage, then works down to the backfield flat/wheel route as the checkdown against underneath zone drops.

Defensive Reads

Pre snap, identify the strength of the bunch and check if the defense shifts a linebacker or safety over the top to help with the trail concept. Look at cornerback depth on the outside vertical route, if the corner is playing off man you have a big alert to take the top off the defense. Post snap, watch for a user controlled defender sitting in the lurk area over the deep crosser, since that is the primary window this play attacks. Zone defenses with active linebacker drops into the shallow flat can take away the backfield checkdown, forcing you to hold the ball longer for the deep crosser. This play is vulnerable to a well timed nano blitz since the deep routes take time to develop, so respect inside pressure and have a quick answer ready if the interior line collapses.

Usage Tips

Use pre snap motion or a hard count to identify if the defense is playing man or zone before the snap, since the bunch alignment naturally creates rubs against man coverage. Against man coverage, key the deep crosser first since the natural traffic from the bunch release makes it tough for a trailing defender to stay attached. Against zone shells, especially Cover 3 or Cover 4, work the backfield flat/wheel route as your first read since it attacks the void underneath the deep zone drops. Hot route the outside vertical into a comeback or hitch if you see a single high safety cheating over the top to bait a big play. Pair this play with Bunch Sail or Bunch Verts in your play calling sequence to keep the defense honest on both levels of the field, then mix in Bunch Trail once you see zone drops softening the short areas.

Other Plays in Bunch